We Have a Winner!
After countless delicious entries, laughter-filled kitchens, and some seriously impressive crispy onions, we’re thrilled to announce Siranee Susan Varee as the winner of this year’s Greenbean Casserole Challenge!
VIEW THE RECIPE !!
Asian Green Bean Casserole
- 1 ¼ lbs fresh green beans, trimmed
- 1 tbsp neutral oil 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced (shiitake preferred)
Creamy sauce
- 1 tbsp butter or vegan butter
- 1 tbsp flour (or cornstarch for gluten-free)
- ¾ cup coconut milk (thick part preferred)
- ¾ cup vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil ½ tsp ginger powder (or 1 tsp fresh)
- ½ tsp white pepper
* optional: 1 tsp miso paste (extra umami)
Topping
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp melted butter 1 tbsp soy sauce optional: chili crisp to drizzle
Instructions
Blanch green beans. Boil salted water, add beans, cook 3 min, drain, shock in cold water.
Sauté flavor base. Heat oil, add onion, garlic, mushrooms. Cook 6–8 min until browned and fragrant.
Make creamy sauce Lower heat, add butter and flour; whisk. Slowly add coconut milk + broth until thick. Stir in soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, white pepper, and optional miso.
Simmer 2 min.
Combine & transfer Toss beans with sauce; place in a baking dish. Top it off Mix panko, sesame seeds, butter & soy sauce.Sprinkle over beans
Bake
Bake at 375°F for 20–25 min, until crispy and bubbling. Optional: drizzle chili crisp before serving.
The Story With No Story
By Siranee Susan Varee
We didn’t grow up with Thanksgiving. No turkey carving, no sweet potatoes with marshmallows, no green bean casserole in a retro-looking dish next to cranberry jelly that still had the can lines on it.
My family was busy working, busy adjusting, busy being new in a place where everyone else seemed to already know the rituals. November felt like any other month. We didn’t “gather around the table” — we grabbed food between either at home or at our franchise, Orange Julius. On actual Thanksgiving Day in the 1980s-we would go to Chinatown and have dinner.
Just imagine Chinatown, Los Angeles on a rainy Thanksgiving Day at a place called Golden Phoenix…you walk in and it is bustling.
We would get green beans on a smoking hot plate, slid dramatically onto the lazy Susan at a restaurant table, sizzling beside roast duck, crispy chicken, noodles, and all the other dishes that landed without introductions. And right there in the middle: the infamous lacquered pot of steaming white rice — shiny, heavy, and always emptied faster than anything else.
This dish is our version of the tradition we never had — a casserole borrowed, translated, and flavored with what we grew up eating. A creamy, savory, sesame-scented not to something we didn’t inherit but decided to make our own.
Because sometimes the best traditions are the ones you don’t grow up with — you just choose them.
My family was busy working, busy adjusting, busy being new in a place where everyone else seemed to already know the rituals. November felt like any other month. We didn’t “gather around the table” — we grabbed food between either at home or at our franchise, Orange Julius. On actual Thanksgiving Day in the 1980s-we would go to Chinatown and have dinner.
Just imagine Chinatown, Los Angeles on a rainy Thanksgiving Day at a place called Golden Phoenix…you walk in and it is bustling.
We would get green beans on a smoking hot plate, slid dramatically onto the lazy Susan at a restaurant table, sizzling beside roast duck, crispy chicken, noodles, and all the other dishes that landed without introductions. And right there in the middle: the infamous lacquered pot of steaming white rice — shiny, heavy, and always emptied faster than anything else.
This dish is our version of the tradition we never had — a casserole borrowed, translated, and flavored with what we grew up eating. A creamy, savory, sesame-scented not to something we didn’t inherit but decided to make our own.
Because sometimes the best traditions are the ones you don’t grow up with — you just choose them.
Congratulations to SIranee Susan Varee!
Your greenbean casserole wowed the judges and has officially earned its place in holiday legend.
Her prize? A full year of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup — because great casseroles deserve great ingredients.
Thank You to Everyone Who Entered
From heartwarming classics to wildly creative twists, your recipes made the season brighter and the kitchen a little more magical. We loved seeing every single creation!
Keep the Holiday Fun Going
Even though the contest is over, the Yuletime Yums magic doesn’t stop here. Stay tuned for new recipes, festive surprises, and maybe even the next chance to join a culinary adventure.
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